1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of archery and more specifically to tools intended for use in assembling the components of an arrow.
2. Background Art
Although individuals have relied upon archery to provide subsistence for centuries, modern archers are typically engaged in archery for more recreational purposes. Due to the introduction of modern materials such as aluminum, fiberglass, carbon fiber, and nylon, faster and more accurate arrows can now be produced. The increased levels of accuracy made possible by these new strong and lightweight materials have driven competition among archers to new heights. These high-tech materials, unfortunately, have also driven the cost of modern archery equipment to prohibitive levels. To reduce the cost of archery equipment, many individuals have begun purchasing arrow shaft materials and then assembling the components of the arrow themselves. The finishing of arrow shafts and assembling of components to that shaft has led to a reduction in the cost of archery for many individuals but has also introduced some new problems.
For example, the lightweight materials of which arrow shafts are made cannot be properly cut utilizing tools appropriate for stronger materials such as tubing cutters or saw blades. Pressure from the tubing cutter or saw blade deforms a lightweight arrow shaft and creates burrs at the end of the arrow shaft which may adversely affect the alignment of components added to the shaft in the assembly process.
Whereas professional archery shops utilize a motorized abrasive filament to properly cut lightweight arrow shafts, such cutting devices are prohibitively expensive for most individuals. As a result, the cutting of arrow shafts to custom lengths may not be, depending on the materials utilized, properly accomplished by most individuals without the aid of a professional archery shop.
After an arrow shaft has been cut to a custom length, the cut portion is deburred and made square or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the arrow shaft. If carbon fiber arrow shafts are used, the outside radius of the cut shaft must also be chamfered. This is typically accomplished by rotating the shaft on sandpaper.
A point insert is next pressed into the point end of the arrow shaft and a nock insert is pressed into the nock end of the arrow shaft. These metallic inserts are held in the arrow shaft by a heat-sensitive adhesive. Each insert is typically held by pliers while a propane torch is used to heat the insert and a stick of the heat-sensitive adhesive. When the stick of heat-sensitive adhesive begins to melt, the adhesive is painted on to each of the inserts and the inserts are then pressed into each end of the hollow arrow shaft. If the cutting of the arrow shaft has not been properly accomplished, however, a burr or other irregularity may remain and the insert will not seat perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. This improper seating will skew any components which are later placed within the insert.
Most point inserts have a threaded bore capable of receiving a threaded rod which protrudes from the back of most arrow points. The point is threaded into the point insert and thereby retained within the arrow shaft. The same process is repeated at the nock end of the arrow shaft, but the nock insert utilizes an orifice so sized as to create a friction fit with a shank portion of the nock which is inserted therein.
Fletching made from feathers or plastic vanes are then glued to the arrow shaft. The orientation between the groove in the nock and the fletching in the shaft can influence the flight of the arrow. As an arrow is released, a portion of the fletching contacts the arrow rest to some degree. By rotating the nock relative to the arrow shaft, a process referred to as "indexing," the influence of the contact of the fletching with the arrow rest may be reduced or at least adjusted to compensate for some other influence on the flight characteristics of the arrow.
The indexing process, however, necessitates repeated shooting of the same arrow. Once one arrow is properly indexed, the correct orientation of the nock relative to the fletching must be transferred to other arrows to avoid repeating the entire process. This is problematic, however, because the nock has a friction fit with the insert and the nock is difficult to twist relative to the arrow shaft. Because there is no point of reference with which to compare the two arrows only an approximation of prior indexing can be attained.
An archer may wish to replace the nock or arrow point, or even the point insert or nock insert due to wear or damage. Because of the light weight of the arrows and the use of more powerful bows, the flight speed and therefore impact of arrows has greatly increased in recent years. After repeated impact, the point insert may become damaged and need to be replaced. Likewise, a nock may become broken and need to be removed. It is a difficult and time-consuming task to remove the shank portion of the nock remaining within an arrow shaft and to clean the adhesive from the inside of the arrow shaft when the point insert has been removed. Likewise, when pressing in a new point insert, it is difficult to grip the point insert with pliers in a fashion which allows accurate insertion of the point insert correctly into the shaft.
Removal of a nock insert is very difficult because the inside of the nock insert is smooth and difficult to grasp. To overcome this most archers use a pair of pliers to grasp the outside of the nock insert and pull the insert out as the shaft is heated. Unfortunately, pliers often deform the insert or otherwise damage the insert as it is removed.
When an archer wishes to remove the fletching from an arrow shaft to either replace damaged fletching or to utilize a different type of fletching, the fletching and adhesive used to attach the fletching to the arrow shaft must be stripped from the arrow shaft. Because the adhesive is hard and is bonded to the arrow shaft, a razor knife or blade is typically utilized to remove this adhesive from the shaft. Because of the light-weight materials of which most arrow shafts are now constructed, there is a chance that the razor knife will gouge the arrow shaft and thereby unbalance the arrow shaft and cause permanent damage.